Help coming for Alia

Alia Atkinson at the Athletes' Village in London, England. Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has revealed that the Government is prepared to consider assisting Olympian Alia Atkinson with the continuation of her career in competitive swimming.

Atkinson placed fourth with 1:06:93 in the 100m breaststroke in the London Olympics Aquatic Centre on Monday, equalling the best placement by a Jamaican in Olympic swimming.

"I want to commend our swimmer, Alia. She was out-standing," Simpson Miller said while addressing the Jamaica 50 PetroCaribe scholars at a function in their honour in Kingston yesterday.

"All Jamaicans here and in the diaspora must be proud of her. I am going to speak to the ministers of finance and education and the Sports Development Foundation, and I appeal to the private sector, we have to partner to allow her to continue her training programme. I want to say to her, 'Help is on the way'."